Remembering
by ArinSteele
Summary: Arin and the rest of the team are called up unexpectedly one morning to gather in Vale. A memorial, or sorts. [Monty Oum Tribute]


**Remembering**

* * *

Sam rubs her eyes as she wakes up, the others had been calling her.

"What's going on?" she mumbles, "What time is it?"

"Dawn," Arin shakes her, "Get up! We have to get going." The others have already gotten dressed.

"Our scrolls all went off at the same time," Luther held up the device. On the screen displayed a message, _Converge at Main Auditorium_.

"Ozpin called for all teams to meet at the auditorium," Terence laces up his shoes. He equips his gauntlets and lets his jacket sleeves fall over them, "It must be important."

* * *

Luther yawns as the four head down the hallway. "Where's everyone else? This place looks like a haunted house with the dim lights and the lack of people."

"Might've already gone ahead," Arin offers, "Hurry up and we might catch them."

The four head outside and see the mass of students heading towards the auditorium. The lamps were lit and flags were strung from each, they alternated between the emblems of the four nations: Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, Mistral.

They made it to the auditorium where the other teams were gathered. Professor Goodwitch stands on stage with a microphone. The students quiet down as she opens her mouth to speak.

"Good morning to you all," Goodwitch says, "I'm sure many of you know why we have called you today. As for the first years, this is a learning experience for all of us."

The four of team ATLS listen from the back of the crowd, trying to peak over the crowd of people before them.

"The airships will arrive shortly," Goodwitch says calmly, "And when they do, please board in an _orderly_ fashion."

The crowd erupts into conversation and everyone begins to head towards the docks at the same time.

Team ATLS is pushed out of the auditorium and run right into Team SAFR.

"Terence!" Ryane exclaims, "Guys!"

"What's going on?" Flynn asks the rest.

"We're not entirely sure ourselves," Arin raises her voice as the crowds surround them, "Just follow the others, I guess."

The others nod in unison as the two teams make their way over to the docks along with the rest of the school. Multiple airships were already waiting for them and students had already begun to board.

"Stay together," Sam says and glances back at Luther who was two people behind her, "We don't want to be separated."

The two teams board an airship moment before the doors close.

"Thank you for your patience," the automated voice chimed, "We are now beginning our descent to the city of Vale."

"Hey guys," Sadie's pressed against the window, "Look."

Down below, past the giant lake, stood the city of Vale. The city was lit up with lights, even before the sun had risen.

"Looks like we're not the only ones awake," Arthur crosses his arms, "What could be this important?"

* * *

The eight students of Beacon step off the airship. It launches once more and heads back to the school to retrieve more students.

Being aboard one of the first ships to land, the students are greeted by a few Atlesian guards.

"Please follow us," one of the guards says sternly, "We want to get everyone to the square in an orderly manner."

The two teams follow the guards through the streets. Every now and then they would see another Atlesian guard standing at a street corner with their weapon raised.

"Excuse me?" Terence speaks up, "What's with all the security."

The guards remain silent for a moment, debating on whether or not they should answer.

The slightly taller one speaks, "Watching out for Grimm. We don't want anything getting in the way of today's ceremony."

"Ceremony?" Terence mutters to himself. He turns to the rest of his team, but they all shrug.

The town square was crowded. Citizens of Vale stood around a stage and in the balconies surrounding the square. On the stage stood a tall structure, covered with a white sheet.

Arin recognized students not from Beacon, but from Atlas, then Vacuo, and then Mistral.

"The other schools are here," she says to the group. Sam jumps to see over Luther's height.

Terence points to the stage. Now stands Glynda Goodwitch alongside Professor Ozpin, General Ironwood, and what appeared to be Ruby's uncle Qrow. Behind them stand a row of teachers from Beacon and what the group assumed to be teachers from the other schools.

Ozpin steps to the microphone, "We stand here today in honor of a fallen comrade. A man who dedicated countless days to us so that we could stand here together, united. I would like to introduce our guest speaker for today. Please welcome, Vincent Atlas."

The crowd applauds as a young man steps onstage. He has short, dark, hair and wears a pair of black rimmed glasses.

 _He seems oddly familiar_ , Arin thought.

Vincent taps the microphone, "Hello, my name is Vincent. To those not native to these parts, welcome to Vale." The crowd applauds again.

Vincent clears his throat and begins his speech, "Life is an everlasting adventure full of ups and downs. We choose our own path. But sometimes, we encounter something unexpected. A bump, of sorts. Most of the time, we recover. We pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and continue along the path. Sometimes, it's not that easy."

At this point, the crowd of people is silent.

Vincent continues, "We stand here today, to honor a man named Monty Oum." The sheet is thrown off and under it stands a stone statue.

Vincent looks back to the crowd, "A young man, yet wise and knowledgeable. Now, I didn't know Monty personally, but he had his impact on me as well. It wasn't until after his death that I learned of his accomplishments. But even after death, Monty still taught me many things. He taught me that not many people are blessed with doing what they want to do in life. But, dreams are only dreams if they aren't put into action. The only thing limiting us from our goals and accomplishments, is time."

Luther glances down at his hands and balls up his fists.

"As far as we know, time only goes one way, and that's forward. In the past, I've made mistakes. And often times, I think about what I would give to undo that mistake. But Monty has taught me that there's no changing the past, only the future. Our past mistakes are what make us who we are. They've shaped us, helped us learn, and impacted us in ways we never could've imagined. To change one's future, however, one must be proactive and step up to the occasion. Today, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Monty, inspiring me to do what I enjoy."

Terence looks at his gauntlets, the details seemed more refined now.

"If it weren't for Monty, none of us would be here today," Vincent glances at Team RWBY who stood close to the stage, "We stand here today, united, to honor the man named Monty Oum. A teacher, a friend, and most importantly, our creator."

Arin blinks away tears.

"And with that, I'd like to end it here. Thank you, Monty Oum, for all that you've done for us. We are honored to have stood by your side until the very end. You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. Farewell and rest in peace." Vincent takes a step back. The crowd doesn't applaud, but stands there in silence.

Ruby is the first to react, holding up an inactive Crescent Rose into the air. Yang thrusts her fist in the air, followed by Blake and Weiss raising their weapons as well. Next to them, Team JNPR follows suit. Weapons of all shapes, sizes, and designs are held up in the air. Soon enough, the huntsmen and huntresses of the enormous crowd are all holding up their weapons in honor of the late Monty.

Ozpin steps up to the microphone, "Monty Oum. You've created a world beyond worlds. A universe where anything can be possible. A community filled with creativity and imagination. You've brought us all together, and we thank you for that. May you rest in peace."

* * *

 _You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten._

 _Monty Oum 1981-2015_

* * *

 **I didn't start watching RWBY until after the third volume came out, and by that time Monty had already passed away. Even then, it wasn't until a month or so that I had learned of his passing. Monty showed me a world full of monsters and cute girls wielding giant scythes that doubled as sniper rifles, something I've never seen before. It sparked my interest, and soon enough, I was engulfed in the series. So much so that I was inspired to make a team of my own, Team ATLS. Monty's view of time and it being the limiting factor to our own greatness speaks a lot to me. At the end of the day, time is what limits us to what we can accomplish.**

 **Even though I didn't know him, I'm still moved by the things he's done. He's created this huge community of fans who love the show and they come up with incredible content. Fanart, OC's, fanfictions, whatever. It's all great.**

 **Thank you Monty, for all that you've done. Without you, none of this would exist. Team ATLS, SAFR, CLBN, and even MORL, they're all your handiwork. I cannot express how much your work has done for me.**

 **Thank you and may you rest in peace.**

 **Thanks for reading and 'till next time.**

 **-** ** _VincentAtlas_**


End file.
